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To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and statement of suitability. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and statement of suitability. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

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If those don't work please email scs@levellingup.gov.uk with your application and/or CV before the submission deadline. Any applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

Short Summary

Safer Greener Buildings (SGB), a unit of DLUHC, started work 6 years ago to make buildings safer following the Grenfell Tower fire. Since Grenfell, the extent of the challenge and nature of the work needed has become clear: it is now estimated ~ 11,000 buildings require some form of remediation.​

Until now, all delivery has taken place in two programmes within DLUHC, supported by delivery partners in Homes England and the Greater London Authority. In future, delivery will be conducted through five programmes, with a much greater role for Homes England, the newly established Building Safety Regulator, and industry itself through Developer Self Remediation. ​

As the complexity and scale of remediation increases, a Portfolio model is being implemented. The Portfolio itself will be made up of 7 functions, and will lead some areas of work, and co-ordinate others between the Department and its Delivery Partners.

Job Description

The System Design role has been created to sit within the Portfolio. The purpose of the role is to take a holistic view of the entire remediation landscape and identify, evaluate and support implementation of changes to increase the pace and value for money of the programmes. This includes through working with teams around policy change and other co-ordinated responses.​

In this role, the Deputy Director ('DD') will build a System Design function to develop and implement policy through a systems lens. The DD is expected to develop conceptual models and analytical approaches to generate insights at the system level. This will include working with teams to design and deliver user research on residents, leaseholders and freeholders to better understand incentives and behaviours across the system, and engaging in and supporting policy development.

In all of this work, there will be a significant amount of stakeholder engagement, within and outside the Building Remediation teams.​

The System Design DD will report into the Portfolio Director and is expected to manage a team on a day-to-day basis whilst also providing support, guidance and coaching. They will promote both effective individual and team performance.

Responsibilities

- Define building remediation landscape, manage dependencies and areas of design uncertainty 

• Develop a conceptual model of the new building remediation landscape, including regulators, construction sector, financial sector, technical professionals, building owners and occupants, fire services, local authorities, etc​

• Build and update context diagrams, concept maps and trend maps to inform areas of design uncertainty and areas to understand dependencies between different design decisions​

• Develop a perspective on assumptions made in understanding the system, and a range of hypotheses to be tested​

- Develop analytical approaches to generate insights at the system level and inform policy​ -

• Work with teams to design and deliver research on system actors to understand system incentives / impacts​

• Track policy implementation through systems lens​

• Share insights from system analysis to inform activity of portfolio functions​

- Work with teams to develop and deliver policy options, to deliver remediation portfolio objectives ​-

• Work with teams to design and deliver specific policy after mapping out system effects of design changes. ​

• Work closely with Commercial / Policy / Finance teams to understand areas with potential benefit from design changes to the remediation landscape​

• Engage with various parts of the remediation landscape to understand concerns and implications of design changes​

- Champion systems approaches; develop and build capability of systems design team through training and formal feedback

The Person

You will be an expert in systems thinking, including expertise in understanding and managing implications of change on broader system and actors​.

You will be able to apply knowledge of complex environments​.

You will have experience of complex system development including bringing clarity to a large and interconnected landscape.

You will be able to think critically to identify the underlying root causes behind issues in a system, and able to drive towards resolution with robust, and coordinated change.​

You will be experienced in research design and execution.​

You will be experienced in performance analysis of a complex system to identify trends, and developing solutions from these insights. ​

You will have experience in policy development in new and emerging systems with both change and uncertainty. ​

You will be comfortable working at pace and responding flexibly to change, but also able to plan and lead teams to deliver key monthly tasks.​

You will be a strong communicator, someone who can draw insights from data and bring complex concepts to life for non-experts.​

You will be an experienced and visible leader, able to engage and motivate a team working under pressure and at pace, and to actively contribute to the wider leadership agenda of the Directorate and Department. ​

We particularly encourage applications from those of an ethnic minority background and those with disabilities, as well as those based in locations outside of London, who are underrepresented at this level in DLUHC.

As one of the Department’s senior leaders, you will also be a visible role model for the Civil Service leadership behaviours. These can be found in the Civil Service Leadership Statement which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-leadership-statement/civil-service-leadership-statement      

Essential Criteria

• Experience of complex system development including bringing clarity to a large and interconnected landscape.​

• To present complex issues simply and effectively, using critical thinking alongside complex data and analysis to inform and influence decision making.​

• To establish credibility and build trust quickly with a diverse network of senior stakeholders in a complex system working across organisational boundaries, having experience of influencing senior stakeholders and demonstrating an understanding of the challenges of leading in a political context.​

• To be able to build a high performing team

• To be able to work effectively with other teams across a large and diverse group, leading and supporting the development of solutions to improve system performance.

Selection process details

How to apply

Please provide the required information and complete your application through the Be Applied website by 23:55 on 13 August 2023.

You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​

When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of: ​

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and your relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. ​

• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification. (max. 2 pages)​

Please remember to save these two items in one document.​

Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied.

The selection panel will be made up of:

• Ben Llewellyn, Director, Remediation Portfolio

• Two additional Directors, TBC

Additionally, the panel will be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Selection process and assessments

Candidates that are shortlisted may be invited to attend a staff engagement panel. 

At DLUHC we hold staff engagement panels as an integral part of the recruitment process for Senior Civil Servants (SCS) – they are designed to help us build up a rounded picture of each candidate and give us an insight into how you might engage and interact with your team should you be successful. The purpose of the session is to help us assess your engagement and communication skills and is not about testing your subject knowledge or expertise for this particular role. Feedback from the session is passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to a meeting with a Minister or the Secretary of State, and/or other senior stakeholders. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview. 

All of the evidence presented as part of the process will be considered in the final assessment.

Security Clearance

All DLUHC colleagues must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

In addition to the BPSS, all staff based at our Marsham Street office in London (and some based in our other offices) must be cleared to at least Counter Terrorism Check level. It is a requirement of some roles at Marsham Street and other DLUHC offices that the holder obtain either Security Check or Developed Vetting clearance. The nature and level of the security checks will vary subject to the level of clearance required.

Salary

For external appointments, remuneration for this role will be circa £73,000pa plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension. 

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for Deputy Director.

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.